Unemployment on the rise Pinellas numbers up to 11.1 percent in June. ... Page 2A. Hank Azaria and Smurfs make it to the big screen Craig and Ford team up for ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ See Diversions. ... Page 1B. Volume XXIII, No. 30 www.TBNweekly.com July 29, 2011 INSIDE Red light camera plan gets green light Council reverses its decision, made just three days earlier, to shelve the plan By LESTER R. DAILEY cides whether it wants to wade into the fray. Even spokesman told the council, adding that the photos Councilman John Doran, who spearheaded the camera would be reviewed by either a police officer or a certified CLEARWATER – The city’s on-again, off-again plan to program, was in favor of waiting. technician who would decide whether to issue a ticket. test a prototype system of red light cameras at key in- So the council-watchers were astounded three days At $158, a camera-generated ticket would be cheaper tersections is on again. In a move on July 21, the City later when at the council’s July 21 meeting, Mayor than a police-issued one for the same offense and Council reversed its surprise decision of July 18 to in- Frank Hibbard said that he had changed his mind and would carry no points against the driver’s license. The definitely shelve the controversial plan. now wanted to proceed with the camera program. spokesman added that a recent study in Lafayette, La., City Council-watchers went to the council’s July 18 “I’m not comfortable with cameras generally. … It found that the rate of both T-bone crashes at red lights work session expecting to see the council recommend smacks of Big Brother,” Hibbard said. “But we’re facing and rear-end crashes has decreased by 60 percent in the approval of a contract for Redflex Inc., the frontrun- budget woes” and it’s expensive to pay police officers to the three years since a Redflex camera system was in- ner of five bidders on the project, to install a prototype issue tickets that cameras can issue at no cost to the stalled. system of eight cameras at two intersections on Belcher city while cops are doing work that can’t be done by “I’m a great supporter of the cameras but … it has to Road known for their high numbers of red light tickets machines. He added that he had recently spoken with be done judiciously” so it doesn’t scare off the tourists,” and crashes. But they were amazed when instead the two state legislators who don’t foresee any legislative said Steve Sarnoff, a former New York City cabbie who council unanimously agreed to shelve the program problems for red light camera systems in Florida cities. until the litigation regarding similar camera ordinances “What we’re actually doing is providing an evidence in other cities is settled and the State Legislature de- package for your police department,” a Redflex See CAMERAS, page 4A POLICE BEAT Five injured in Independence and empowerment through sailing condominium fire By ALEXANDRA LUNDAHL CLEARWATER – Five adults were CLEARWATER – Veterans shot in the line of duty or who Left: Holly Crabtree and taken to local hospitals July 22, suffering have lost limbs get to taste adventure again. People with cere- Roger Thomas sail one of from smoke inhalation after firefighters bral palsy who spend their whole lives in a chair can embrace the Sailability boats. rescued them from the third floor of In- freedom and independence. People with severe autism are calm Crabtree is active military verness Condominiums, 2595 Country- for weeks after a Sailability sailboat trip. and was a young medic side Blvd. Sailability is a nonprofit organization based out of the Clear- when she was shot in the ... Page 5A. water Community Sailing Center that allows people with dis- head on duty. Thomas is a abilities the opportunity to either be taken for a sailing outing vet volunteer who lost his or to sail themselves using specially designed boats. This year right hand in a training MOM 2 MOM it celebrates its 10-year anniversary. accident while in the One of the exciting things is that from land when someone Marines. Below: Volunteers Kids’ membership looks out at all the sailboats, no one can tell which are the help Sam Schmidt into the ones being sailed by people with disabilities, said Claudia electronic sailboat, the clubs offer savings Nable, president of Sailability. It levels the playing field and ev- Christopher Reeve. Schmidt eryone is just a sailor. was a racecar driver and Parents, taking time to join some of “We’re an empowerment program that just happens to sail,” owner of many Grand Prix the kids’ clubs out there can be very said Tom Calhoun, vice president of Sailability. racecars. He broke his neck beneficial and fun for your little ones. Nable used to volunteer in St. Petersburg with sailors with racing and now that he Some of the clubs are free, and some are disabilities. Through working with one such sailor, Alder Al- does not drive, he owns his worth the few bucks for the cost of mem- lensworth, she realized that the area needed a program specifi- own fleet. Initially he went bership. cally designed to work with sailors who are disabled. out sailing with volunteer The first kids’ club I joined was when I Allensworth participated in the Paralympic Games in Aus- Tom Calhoun but had was pregnant with my first child. It was tralia in 2000 and told Nable about some special sailboats built Calhoun sail him back to the Publix Baby Club. It is free to join by Australian, Chris Mitchell, that are perfect for people with the dock so Schmidt could and I started receiving coupons before disabilities. Calhoun contacted Mitchell, of Access Dinghies, sail the electronic boat on my daughter was born. As a first time and asked to make the newly forming group three boats, at be- his own. parent, you receive a fantastic book from tween $5,000 and $6,000 apiece, and they will have raised the the American Academy of Pediatrics funds by the time they were complete. When the boats were called, “Caring for Your Baby and Young finished, not only had they raised enough money for those Child,” a $20 value. It’s full of invaluable three – they had also raised enough to order three more sail- medical and child-rearing advice from boats. birth to age 5. As my children grew I The organization now has 10 Access Dinghies and two elec- signed them up for the Publix Preschool tronic boats that are sailed with a joystick with one’s chin. To Pals, which is for ages 2 to 4. In this sail to the right, one pushes the chin to the right. A chin push club, my children received free activity to the left moves the boat left, and pushing the chin forward books, prizes, birthday cards and puts the sails out. The group also has three Bravos, a safety newsletters along with wonderful boat, and a pontoon that has a wheelchair ramp and chair ties. coupons. They also have a “sip and puff” boat that one controls solely by ... Page 2B. breathing through straws, but Nable and Calhoun said they find the electronic boats preferable because they are more re- HEALTH sponsive. One veteran, Holly Crabtree, a U.S. Navy Corpsman, sur- vived an explosion of an IED while on duty. She was shot in Heart surgery the head and is still recovering, but Calhoun said she refuses to say she will need long-term care. She is a regular with Sail- program honored ability, and Nable said she is even sailing larger racing sail- boats while getting treatment in Atlanta. CLEARWATER – The Society of Tho- Another Sailability client is 24 years old, autistic, non-com- racic Surgeons awarded Morton Plant municative, a self-biter who wears diapers and would jump Hospital’s heart surgery program its and scream at first, Calhoun said. It was his job to take her prestigious overall three-star rating, the out sailing and keep her calm. It took a few times, but by the highest designation given to hospitals by third time, she would get excited when she arrived at the cen- STS. ter and was ready to sail. ... Page 8A. “Her mom would say, she’s having an autistic day, but what would happen is … it just calms her,” Nable said. “Her mom VIEWPOINTS says that when she went sailing, for like two weeks she’d be fine. She’d be a lot calmer.” Tom Germond See a shark? Experts See SAILABILITY, page 4A Photos by CLAUDIA NABLE say you should get out of the water. … Page 9A. AroundAround TownTown City to buy out Pickles’ lease City Attorney Pam Akin said. neck and back pain he suffered after a Gas Depart- CLEARWATER – A decade ago, the city-owned There was no discussion of the fate of the Har- ment vehicle rear-ended his stopped car. Harborview Center boasted a convention facility, a borview Center building, but it is widely believed Stein Mart department store and the Pickles Plus that the city will raze the structure to avoid the City staffers to get one-time Features Too deli. Today, only the deli remains, and that too $60,000 annual cost of maintaining it. $400 payment “Nobody is happy about this (settlement),” Mayor will soon be history. CLEARWATER – The collective bargaining agree- Business . .6-7A The city has wanted for some time to close the en- Frank Hibbard said.